In case you have not heard, Mel Gibson is attempting a comeback as a director with Hacksaw Ridge, a very gritty World War II drama about the real life war hero of Desmond Doss. For those who have not heard of this man, he saved the lives of many soldiers during the war, particularly at the Battle of Okanawa, at the taking of Hacksaw Ridge. Doss received the Medal of Honor for his actions, and never once fired a shot or killed an enemy soldier. This is what is known about Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge Release Date and the real-life war hero Desmond Doss.
The Real Life of Hacksaw Ridge's Desmond Doss
If you watch the trailer, you can see that Mel Gibson's war drama looks very intense, up there with Saving Private Ryan as far as its graphic depiction of World War II. This is the first time that Desmond Doss has been the center of a major feature film, but who was this man in real life?
Desmond Doss had the beliefs of a Seventh-Day Adventist, and refused to kill an enemy soldier nor carry a weapon in combat. As a result, he became a medic, and he saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers.
There is a lot of information about Desmond Doss on the Home of Heroes website, where his official Medal of Honor citation is listed. His citation shows that he would often go into the most dangerous of areas to treat or rescue his fellow soldiers, and "his name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty".
Spoiler Alert for Possible Oscar Moment for Hacksaw Ridge
According to Adventist Review, there is a scene in the film that looks to be positively heartbreaking. The scene is when Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) is trying to save his fellow U.S. soldiers in the midst of a terrible battle. After he manages to lower a soldier to safety, he yells: "Lord, give me one more!" He then lowers another solider to safety and says the same prayer, and saves many lives.
The trailer shows Doss saying "while everybody else is going to be taking life, I'm going to be saving it. That's going to be my way to serve". It shows him refusing to hold a weapon in basic training, and being persecuted by his fellow soldiers, to the point of receiving bruises. It is amazing that he was even allowed to go into the battlefield, and even more amazing what he did there.
Hacksaw Ridge Release Date to American Theaters
Considering that the film has already received a lot of praise with a ten-minute standing ovation in Venice, it looks to be another Oscar contender for Mel Gibson, who won two decades ago with Braveheart. American audiences can see this inspirational story of Desmond Doss when Hacksaw Ridge hits theaters on November 4, 2016.
